


Screw Next Thursday

by helsinkibaby



Category: Picket Fences (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: 1-million-words, F/M, Fix It Fic, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 21:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13819554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: Max can't get her last conversation with John out of her head. A word from a friend helps her make up her mind.





	Screw Next Thursday

**Author's Note:**

> For February bingo at one million words, prompt, fix it fic. 
> 
> I am bitter even 25 years later that Picket Fences dropped the Max/Littleton storyline and this challenge gave me the impetus to finally do something about it. (apart from the fic I wrote about it way back when, but anyway.) 
> 
> In related mutterings. I will not write a 'verse. I will not write a 'verse. I will not....

“What’s your problem?” 

Max tilted her head and frowned at the obvious confusion and frustration in Kenny’s voice, which only grew when he continued, “And don’t give me the wide eyed and innocent look. You’ve been like a bear with a sore paw since you came back here earlier. I don’t know who rattled your cage, but I’m not real happy about paying for it.” 

It was on the tip of Max’s tongue to deny everything with great volume and she opened her mouth to do just that. Then she remembered where she’d been earlier on, how that conversation had played out and she could feel her hackles start to rise. 

Once she’d noticed that, it was impossible to deny that Kenny was right. 

“I’m sorry.” Her quiet words caused surprise to flash across Kenny’s face. “I guess I have some things on my mind and it’s rattling me a little.” 

“Things named John Littleton?” Kenny’s smile was teasing but his voice was low, like he didn’t want anyone to overhear them. Which, given the tensions around the town at the moment, earned his Max's surpreme gratitude. Or rather, it would have, if she weren't so stunned. She hadn't thought she was that easy to read. 

“What do you-”

“Come on, Max, you two have been flirting around each other for weeks now.”

Max shook her head. “That’s ridiculous.” 

Except from what John had pointed out earlier, it wasn’t. “We antagonise the hell out of each other without knowing why,” he’d said and Max had had to give him that. Sparks certainly flew every time they were together and even though he drove her up the wall half the time, she always looked forward to their next encounter. 

Kenny waved a hand dismissively. “Fine, you two have been sniping at one another for weeks now.” A deliberate pause. “Which for you is the verbal equivalent of foreplay.” Max’s cheeks flushed scarlet and Kenny leaned forward, crossed his arms over his chest. “And I’ve seen how he looks at you... Men notice these things.” 

Max sighed, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. “With everything that’s going on in the town right now-” she began but Kenny didn’t let her finish. 

“Screw the town.” She dropped her hand and stared at him in shock. “Max, if you wait for the town to be happy with what you do, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. If you like him, you should go for it.”

That was easy for him to say, Max thought, thinking of his relationships with the twins, with Rachel Harris, even with Kimberly Brock. He’d certainly taken his own advice, and had unknowingly broken her heart with each new relationship. Now here he was, encouraging her to go after someone else. It was actually a welcome surprise to her to realise that that fact didn’t affect her in the least, to know for sure that whatever feelings she’d had for him had faded. But it still didn’t change the fact that she was falling - and she was, she could admit that - for someone equally as complicated, just for different reasons. 

“You make it sound so easy,” she said and he shrugged. 

“Life’s too short, Max. Every day, we see people who thought coulda, woulda, shoulda, and then boom, it’s too late. Littleton’s a good man. And you deserve that.” 

He looked uncomfortable suddenly, like he'd said too much, got too serious and he'd moved away from her, finding his paperwork far more interesting than continuing their conversation. Max knew she should be doing the same thing but Kenny's words, and John's, rattled around her head for the rest of her shift, making it impossible to concentrate so it was a relief when it was time to clock off. Getting into her car to drive home, she surprised herself as she drove past the DA’s office and, upon seeing an empty parking space outside, pulling into it. Not quite sure what she was doing, she made her way into the building, walked down the familiar halls and knocked on John’s door. 

She didn’t enter straight away when he called, “Come in.” Instead she took a deep steadying breath before pushing the door open. She was thrown when he wasn’t sitting at his desk as she expected; instead he was standing at the shelves closest to the door, law tome in his hand, half on the shelf and half off. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw her, a flash of something that looked very much like happiness searing across his face. It was gone as quickly as it appeared, however, his expression changing to not so friendly neutrality. There was nothing neutral, however, about the shove he gave the book so that it sat back onto the shelf. The thump it made as it hit the wall made Max wince but not as much as the tone of his voice when he spoke. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” he said and for all the disagreements they’d had, all the verbal back and forth, he’d never once sounded so cold. Scorn dripped from his next words. “Let me guess - next Thursday’s no good for you?”

Max didn’t realise she was moving until she was right in front of him, didn’t realise she was speaking until the words, “Screw next Thursday,” in her own voice echoed between them. 

And then she wasn’t talking and neither was he because she was kissing him instead. 

For a second, John froze and her heart sank but he got with the program pretty quickly, his hands resting first on her hips, then sliding around to the small of her back as his mouth opened against hers and his tongue brushed her lips and...

Oh wow. 

Max’s knees literally got weak and she had to tighten her hold on him but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead he turned them slightly so that her back was against the bookshelves, his body strong and firm against hers, pressing her against it and she’d known he was a trim man, wiry, she would have said but her exploring fingers found muscles she hadn’t expected. His own hands weren’t idle either, moving up and down her body, one tangling in her hair as he deepened the kiss still further and she didn’t know how long they stood there like that, wrapped up in each other, but when he pulled away, a whimper of disappointment came unbidden from her throat. 

“Max...” His voice was a raw whisper as he rested his forehead against hers. “We should stop.” 

It was as if the proverbial bucket of cold water had been dropped over her head. “Stop. Right.” She bit her lip as she looked down, disappointment warring with shame at what she’d just done. 

She heard him chuckle which would usually make her mad, she just couldn’t find it in her. But then he tucked his hand under her chin, used it to lift her head gently so that he was looking into her eyes. What she saw there made her heart stutter. “Our first time’s not going to be on the floor of my office,” he told her, his voice low, serious even as his eyes twinkled with amusement and something far more promising. “I think we can do better than that.” 

Max found herself grinning. “I don’t know, I thought that went pretty well.” 

His laughter was infectious. “Touché.” His lips brushed over hers briefly. “Listen... I need to get home. Put Cara to bed. Will you come over later? We can talk... really talk.” He frowned exaggeratedly. “Or not talk... we seem to be better at that.” 

“We can do both,” Max told him and his smile was the best thing she’d seen in ages. 

“I like the sound of that,” he told her. 

So did she.


End file.
